One of the conventional methods for testing various characteristics of commercially produced condoms is the socalled "airburst" testing method. The airburst testing method is conducted by inserting over and clamping a condom to a mounting assembly at a predetermined distance from the tip, usually near the base of the condom, to create an air tight seal. After the condom is secured to the mounting assembly, it is inflated with air at a predetermined inflation rate. The internal pressure and volume of the condom is monitored during inflation, wherein the condom is continuously inflated with air, increasing in both pressure and volume, until the condom is eventually destroyed by bursting. The maximum pressure and volume of the condom, produced at an instant just before bursting, is determined and recorded. This maximum pressure and volume information represents the airburst testing characteristics of the condom tested.
Conventional condom airburst testing devices are susceptible to problems related to the secure clamping of a condom to be tested. Prior art devices which utilize an inflatable air bladder, require that the base of an unrolled condom be stretched over the bladder when uninfalted. The bladder is expanded until the edges of the condom are pressed between the inflatable bladder and an outer collar. Such inflatable bladder, frequently do not maintain an airtight seal around the condom. Leakage around the bladder results in undesired errors introduced into the pressure and volume measurements, thereby producing inaccurate readings of air burst testing characteristics. Another problem exhibited with conventional air burst testing devices which use an inflatable bladder is encountered during initial mounting of a condom to be tested. Typical inflatable air bladders require that mounting of a condom be accomplished by stretching it over the air bladder--both a difficult and time consuming task. In the process of stretching a condom over the air bladder the flexible membrane may be damaged, causing premature bursting of the condom during inflation which ultimately results in false airburst testing characteristics. In addition, such conventional devices often require several intricate steps to be performed by an operator to carry out each test.
Prior art airburst testing devices typically monitor differential pressure, i.e. the difference between internal condom Pressure and the atmosphere, using a pressure meter located in the inflation air supply line. Such inline monitoring devices are substantially influenced by changes in air flow rate, thereby resulting in inaccurate pressure readings which reflect instantaneous or transient changes in flow rate. As a result, conventional inline monitoring devices will display the fluctuating instantaneous pressure of the air supply line, rather than directly displaying the actual internal air pressure of the condom itself. Furthermore, conventional inflation air supplies are frequently subject to fluctuations in flow rate, particularly during the inflation process. Thus, the problems with inline monitoring devices are further exaggerated by their great sensitivity to fluctuations exhibited by conventional inflation air supplies.